BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Wednesday reiterated that the European Union will not resume imports of gas from Russia even if a peace agreement ends the war in Ukraine, saying current EU regulations block any return to those purchases after reports of alleged US-Russia conversations on restoring flows through the Nord Stream pipeline.
Source: Democrata (Euronews/EFE reporting of Commission briefing)
"We have legislation in force that prevents us from resuming imports of fossil fuels, particularly gas, from Russia," Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho told the daily press briefing in Brussels, when repeatedly asked about the reported contacts between Washington and Moscow on reopening Nord Stream once the conflict ends.
Energy spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said the REPowerEU regulation "is not linked to sanctions or to any geopolitical event" and will therefore remain in force regardless of whether a peace understanding is reached in Ukraine. "Regardless of what happens, we are progressively eliminating Russian gas and liquefied natural gas from the European market, and the last supplies should end by the end of next year," she said, referring to the 2027 horizon.
Source: Democrata
A summary of the Commission briefing noted the legal distinction in detail: the phase-out is not only a sanctions measure, and the final transition period for qualifying long-term Russian pipeline gas contracts is scheduled to end on 30 September 2027, potentially extending to 1 November 2027 under specified storage-related conditions. A peace agreement, on its own, would not oblige Germany or other EU countries to permit Russian gas imports.
Source: European Commission briefing summary via Royal Dutch Shell plc site
Energy Intelligence also reported on Wednesday that Brussels intends to keep the door shut for Russian gas even after peace is achieved in Ukraine, while Moscow has called for easing sanctions and lifting EU import restrictions to stabilise the gas market.
Source: Energy Intelligence
Itkonen clarified that it is not up to the Commission to determine whether the Nord Stream pipeline itself could operate again in the future, but emphasised that the Commission's position on the project has been unequivocal since its launch and that the decision to forgo Russian gas goes beyond sanctions linked to the invasion.
For Europe's energy market — and for gas prices felt worldwide — Wednesday's statement removes a key uncertainty: a Ukraine peace deal alone will not reopen Russian pipeline gas to the EU. Any revival would first need EU law itself to change.